| Afro-Electroniqué Mifuné  |
Welfare Poet  |
Last week, Thomas Mulready interviewed me for one of those indelible Cool Cleveland vodcasts. He asked me to sum up the bewildering variety of musical talent in town. How to fit what's happening into a rapid-fire, 14-minute video and not miss someone or come off like a rushed Oscar speech? Exactly. So, with that in mind, I digress. Some talented people were indeed passed over. I mentioned a lot of last year’s highlights, and alluded to some of the more iconoclastic outfits following uncharted paths. Mifuné and Ghetto Wisdom are but two such groups and among the very best of what Cleveland’s music scene offers today.
The former group’s sexy, electronic-laced sound and afro-beat rhythm recalls everyone from Stereolab and Brazilian Girls, to Fela Kuti, Bootsy Collins’ Rubber Band and Anton Fier’s Golden Palominos... yet tolls totally original. Heavy grooves and layers of polyrhythmic textures are paired with ambient, ethereal sounds that you sometimes can’t believe emerged from a place like Cleveland. After I bought this 8-piece unit’s disc, I looked for the LuakaBop or RealWorld label on it, thinking, “Surely David Byrne or Peter Gabriel has them inked…?”
Not yet, apparently. But if the soulful Afro-Electroniqué is any indication, these folks in Mifuné are headed for very big things. The lush explosion of guitars, übersexy vocals and hip-shaking beats peak with “Supercrush,” an Average White Band-gone tropical “Storm Troopers,” and “Don’t Do All Your Talking To Me,” where bursts of zesty brass, funk grooves and world rhythms tempt listeners with an island beyond our own Whiskey. Quite a feat… and a perfect winter antidote (and winter warmer?) to boot. I'm long overdue for a vacation; Mifuné is my current sonic escape.
Ghetto Wisdom’s antidote takes a far different tack, summoning positive urban dialect and beat poetry, channeling it through classic 60s-70s R&B, spoken word, Blaxploitation flicks and early Sugarhill Gang-like rap. Sizzling hybrid “superfunk soundscapes” result. If “power to the people” is what Ghetto Wisdom leader E&J (nee Edwin Moses Jackson) is aiming for – he’s been called “the [black] Bob Dylan” – and with Dazz Band founder Mike “OMG” Calhoun leading the charge on guitars, these guys are going to be rockin’ the mics on much larger stages.
E&J emcees a life-positive message of hope on Welfare Poet, straight outta Black America with a ready-to-throw-down attitude. But the sage acumen of cuts like “Cleopatra Jones,” the spry “Collect Calls” and a reverie to his hometown “Lorain,” show that E&J knows where and when to direct the frustration. He spouts knowledge and positivity with newborn hope and a very precise tongue, asking listeners to educate their mind, free their soul and be the change they expect from others. E&J is wise for his years... and your ears. Give it up for 'em.
In fact, both of these acts get my "truth in advertising" award... and perhaps even a Cleveland Zeitgeist badge for being sharp multicultural ambassadors. The next time someone tells you there's nothing worth listening to coming outta Cleveland... well, tell them you know better.
Visit Mifuné online at http://www.mifunemusic.com and Ghetto Wisdom at http://www.ghettowisdom.net
Mifuné performs at the multimedia performance show Sachsenheim Ball II on Fri 2/2 and Parish Hall for the and a “C-Space” Benefit show on Fri 2/3. Ghetto Wisdom drops two intense shows in the next 10 days: one at the Beachland Ballroom with Robin Stone on Thu 2/1 at 8PM; the other in the “Crooked River Groove” showcase at the Tri-C Metro Theatre on Thu 2/8 at 8PM. Check our Cool Cleveland event listings for more info.
From Cool Cleveland Managing Editor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com
Wanna get reviewed? Send your band's CD (less than 1 year old) to: Cool Cleveland, 14837 Detroit Avenue, #105, Lakewood, OH 44107
Hey Writers! Wanna write about Cleveland music? We've got a slew of recently-released CDs and DVDs by Cleveland-area musicians that could use your critical commentary for Cool Cleveland Sounds. If you're interested, send us a note at Letters@CoolCleveland.com.
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